Pocahontas/Transcript
Transcript Text reads: The Mysteries of Life with Tim and Moby Tim and Moby are at a Star Wars convention. Tim is dressed as Han Solo. He is holding a light saber and standing next to a poster that reads: Meet the Original Greedo. Moby is wearing a C-3PO mask. TIM: This is going to be great, Moby. The Original Greedo is going to be signing autographs. MOBY: Beep. TIM: No, I don't think any of the original Jawas are going to be here. Tim reads from a typed letter. TIM: Dear Tim and Moby, I've heard about Pocahontas. I know she was an American Indian, but I don't know much else. Can you tell me more? Sincerely, Freddie. Well, Freddie, you're right. Pocahontas was an American Indian woman who lived about 400 years ago. An image shows Pocahontas. TIM: She was a member of the Powhatan people, a confederacy of tribes from the eastern coast of Virginia. A map shows the region where the Powhatan people lived. It includes eastern Virginia, as well as parts of present-day Delaware, Maryland, and North Carolina. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Her story's not boring at all. It's got war, romance, daring rescues, kind of like Star Wars. MOBY: Beep. TIM: No, well, there are no robots in the story, but… MOBY: Beep. TIM: Anyway, Pocahontas was the daughter of Chief Powhatan, the leader of the confederacy. An image shows a young Pocahontas standing next to her father. TIM: Her real name was actually Matoaka, which meant "little snow feather." But as a girl, she was free-spirited and fun-loving. That's how she got the nickname Pocahontas. It meant "playful one" or "naughty child." An image shows Pocahontas playfully chasing a rabbit through the woods. TIM: In 1607, when Pocahontas was about 12 years old, some visitors arrived in her neighborhood. They were settlers from England. An image shows a young Pocahontas standing on the shore, watching as English ships approached. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Nope. Pocahontas lived before the Pilgrims arrived. These were the founders of the Jamestown colony, in what is now Virginia, the first permanent English settlement in all of North America. A map shows the location of Jamestown, Virginia. TIM: Before the Pilgrims came over, England had tried to set up colonies in Virginia and New England, but all of them failed. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Well, life for those early colonists was hard. They had to endure harsh winters and search long and hard for food and fresh water. An animation shows a pair of colonists, husband and wife, huddled in a small wooden house. It is snowing outside, and they are both very cold. TIM: And local American Indians often weren't thrilled about newcomers just waltzing in and settling on their land. An American Indian frowns through the window at the couple. TIM: At first, it looked like there would be that kind of trouble in Jamestown. Captain John Smith, one of the leaders of the colony, was captured and brought before Chief Powhatan. An image shows an unhappy John Smith. He is bound with ropes. Chief Powhatan is glaring angrily at him. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Oh, so now you're interested. Smith was laid out on a stone and encircled by men with clubs. It looked like the end for him. An image shows Smith, bound and lying on a large rock, surrounded by American Indian men. Each man is frowning and holding a club. TIM: But all of a sudden, Pocahontas ran up and threw herself on top of him. An image shows Pocahontas lying on her back atop John Smith. She is pleading with the Indians not to kill him. TIM: She reasoned with her father, and convinced him to spare Smith's life. An image shows Pocahontas talking to her father. TIM: Or, so the story goes. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Well, it's possible he was never in any real danger. First, everything we know about the incident comes from Smith himself. So, he might have been exaggerating, or even making the whole thing up. An image shows Smith telling his story to another settler. TIM: His journal entries say only that he was greeted with a great feast. And Pocahontas is not mentioned at all. An image shows an open journal. A second image floating above the journal shows Smith eating a big meal with a couple of American Indians. All of them are smiling. MOBY: Beep. TIM: We might never uncover the truth behind what happened on that day. But we do know it led to improved relations between the Powhatan people and settlers. Pocahontas would often visit their settlement to play with the boys there. And she would bring along food, which helped the colonists survive the winter. An image shows Pocahontas greeting Smith and two boys. She is holding a large basket of food. TIM: And when the colony was damaged by fire in 1608, Pocahontas brought the settlers food and clothing. She was the unofficial go-between for the settlers and the American Indians. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Well, after John Smith went back to England, relationships deteriorated between the Powhatan and the settlers. At one point, Pocahontas was even captured and held for ransom by the colonists. An image shows an angry Pocahontas, bound with rope and sitting alone in an English fort. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Soon after, she converted to Christianity, adopted the name Rebecca, and married a wealthy tobacco farmer named John Rolfe. An image shows a preacher marrying Pocahontas and John Rolfe. TIM: The wedding calmed things down once again between the Powhatan and the colonists. And in 1616, the couple traveled to England. An animation shows a ship crossing the Atlantic Ocean, from Jamestown to England. TIM: That was when John Smith first set down the story of his dramatic rescue. It was in a letter to the queen, in advance of Pocahontas' arrival in England. An image shows the Queen of England reading Smith's account. She is taken aback as she reads. TIM: Maybe Smith wanted to make sure that Pocahontas was treated well on her journey. Maybe he just wanted to make her story, and his own, more interesting. MOBY: Beep. TIM: In England, Pocahontas was treated like visiting royalty. She even got to meet King James I An image shows Pocahontas, dressed in a gown, approaching King James I on his throne. TIM: The next year, Pocahontas and John Rolfe boarded a ship to return to Virginia. But they barely set out when she became very sick. An image shows Pocahontas and Rolfe on a ship. She is ill and holding her stomach. He tries to comfort her. TIM: She never recovered, and died soon after. She was only 22 years old. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Yeah, it is pretty sad. Today, Pocahontas remains a key figure in early American history. Without her willingness to befriend the colonists and help them adapt to their new home, the Jamestown colony might not have survived. Earlier images are shown again, depicting Pocahontas protecting John Smith, then bringing food to Smith and two boys. TIM: And the history of Virginia, the birthplace of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison, might be a lot different. A map shows the colony of Virginia. Images show Washington, Jefferson, and Madison. MOBY: Beep. Moby holds his C-3PO mask in his hand and smiles. TIM: No, C-3PO was not from Virginia. Category:BrainPOP Transcripts Category:BrainPOP Social Studies Transcripts